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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A woman disfigured in a 2009 chimpanzee attack appealed Friday for permission to pursue a $150 million lawsuit against the state, appearing before lawmakers to argue that officials knew the animal was a threat and failed to take action.

In brief remarks to a legislative committee, Nash said the money could help her pay medical bills and give her a chance at a comfortable life. Nash, 60, was blinded, lost both her hands and underwent a face transplant following the attack.

"The state knew what was happening and failed to protect me," Nash said.

Last year, State Claims Commissioner J. Paul Vance Jr. refused Nash's request for permission to sue the state, but the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee is considering a bill that would override that decision. The state generally is immune from lawsuits unless allowed by the commissioner.

The 200-pound animal, known as Travis, attacked Nash on Feb. 16, 2009, when she went to the Stamford home of its owner, Sandra Herold, to help her friend and employer to lure the chimpanzee back inside. The animal went berserk and ripped off Nash's nose, lips, eyelids and hands before being shot to death by a police officer.

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen told lawmakers the state cannot be held responsible.

"I am not here to diminish Ms. Nash's suffering," Jepsen said. "The law does not support this claim."

Nash resides at a Massachusetts convalescent center, where she is awaiting a second attempt at a hand transplant.

She reached a $4 million settlement in 2012 with the estate of Herold, who died in 2010. Nash's attorneys say that will only cover a small portion of her medical costs.

Nash's attorneys argue that the state law prohibited ownership of primates weighing more than 50 pounds without a permit, and officials had an obligation to seize the chimp because it was owned illegally by Herold. Months before the attack, a state biologist warned state officials in a memo that the chimpanzee could seriously hurt someone if it felt threatened, saying "it is an accident waiting to happen."

The claims commissioner concluded that no law at the time of the attack prevented Herold from owning the chimpanzee. He added that if the state had failed to seize the animal, "The duty owed was to the general public and does not create a statutory obligation to ensure the safety of a private individual."

On Friday, Jepsen said if Nash is allowed to sue, claiming the state was negligent in not seizing the animal, others will likely pursue lawsuits concerning alleged negligence involving millions of state permit and license-holders. Jepsen said there are "cases waiting in the chute" for a decision in the Nash request.